Diversity Executive - September 2008 - (Page 44)

for patients,” said Michelle Gadsden-Williams, vice president and global head of diversity and inclusion. “As our customer base grows increasingly diverse, our talent pool must serve as the bridge between the workplace and the market. By retaining top, diverse talent, we are able to enhance our customer insight, as well as our ability to meet the needs of patients and other stakeholders. “ During the past few years, Novartis has taken steps to implement its D&I strategy. In 2006, the organization developed its internal, group-wide D&I commitment and strategy based on the “Novartis Values and Behaviors and Leadership Standards.” Murray Martin Pitney Bowes Murray Martin, president and CEO at Pitney Bowes Inc., said the company fosters a culture of diversity and inclusion to better leverage the talent and creativity generated when groups of diverse people work together. “At Pitney Bowes, diversity and inclusion is a business imperative that is built into the company’s corporate business strategy,” Martin said. “Management is speciﬁcally tasked with increasing diversity awareness and action, and Pitney Bowes teams are recognized for their success in introducing new programs that further promote diversity and inclusion.” That would include teams led by Susan Johnson, Pitney Bowes’ vice president of strategic talent management and diversity leadership. In order to attract the best talent from a variety of demographics, she said the company has worked to earn the reputation of an employer of choice. As a result, Pitney Bowes is more responsive and agile in the global marketplace. The company’s overall diversity and inclusion strategy incorporates three elements: supplier diversity, talent development and employee engagement. “Our supplier diversity program helps our organization align itself with minority- and women-owned businesses that are the best in their ﬁeld,” Johnson said. “Our employee development and employee engagement programs reinforce our culture of learning marked by a high level of sensitivity, understanding and awareness. Our managers are also trained to value and develop a diverse workforce.” The diversity and inclusion initiatives at Pitney Bowes have yielded concrete returns, including increases in employee engagement, retention rates, innovation from employees, customer satisfaction, as well as business growth. “In general, our employees feel good about working for Pitney Bowes,” Johnson said. “They prove this on a daily basis as they achieve or exceed their work objectives and go above and beyond customer expectations.” In 1993, the company’s Diversity Task Force developed a Diversity Strategic Planning process that required every business unit — including communications, training and development, supplier diversity and recruitment and retention — to set measurable goals that would help create and sustain a diverse environment. Each of these units was evaluated based on its progress, and these ratings played a role in the compensation of senior executives at the company. The company also has earned various accolades in the diversity space. Most recently, it was named to the “2008 Best Diver- Incorporating this diversity into our organization through our associates enables us to both understand and ultimately better meet the health care needs of patients and serve our customers. – Dr. Daniel Vasella, CEO, Novartis AG Once the strategy was outlined, the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council (DIAC) — composed of external experts from academia, business and non-governmental organizations — was created to advise Novartis in this endeavor. “The DIAC makes important contributions by challenging our thinking and programs, as well as helping us make diversity a reality and [reinforcing] a culture of inclusion within our organization,” Gadsden-Williams said. After the Novartis’ Diversity and Inclusion Ofﬁce was established, the organization began creating awareness and building competencies around D&I. To enhance its regional focus, the company appointed two D&I heads — one in Japan and one in the U.S. — and built a network of D&I facilitators across the globe. It also engaged top managers in diversity training that is required in some countries for managers who are at least two levels below the CEO. Novartis also recognizes teams and individuals who contribute to D&I by enhancing teamwork, driving innovation and improving business performance. “Our internal vision is to become a best-in-class health care company by cultivating an inclusive and engaging high-performance environment that values and leverages the inclusion of associates from diverse cultures and backgrounds — delivering long-term success for our enterprise,” Gadsden-Williams said. “We are committed to inclusive leadership behaviors that create and sustain equality of opportunity, fairness, mutual respect, work and style choices, dignity and respect for all.” – Lindsay Edmonds Wickman 44 Diversity Executive | www.diversity-executive.com | September/October 2008 http://www.diversity-executive.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity Executive - September 2008

Diversity Executive - September 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Leadership Connections Guest Editorial Diversity Executive Online 2042: A New Business Era Begins The Rules of Attraction Where to Look for Diverse Talent Like Minds Think Great Culture Teams Target Business Opportunities at Luxottica Retail Special Section Rebalancing Gender At ING Americas, the Color of Diversity Is Orange Profile Business Intelligence Case Study Strategies Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources

Diversity Executive - September 2008

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